Faculty/Staff News

PROFESSORS NAMED ASSOCIATE DEANS

In Fall 2019, Brian Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor of Entrepreneurship and Sidne Ward, Ph.D., associate professor of Management Information Systems were appointed associate deans of the Bloch School.

Anderson is working with curriculum committees and taskforces to design new degree and certificate programs; support efforts to encourage innovation in the delivery of academic programs; provide administrative leadership for staff involved in advising, recruiting and student services; work with staff and faculty at Bloch and UMKC to develop and execute strategies designed to improve outcomes related to enrollment, retention, and the student experience and act as a liaison with university offices supporting the delivery of our academic programs.

Ward is overseeing AACSB accreditation processes and assurance of learning activities; support efforts associated with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and NASPAA accreditation; support efforts to enhance and improve physical infrastructure and facility utilization; and support efforts to encourage co-curricular engagement through resource allocation, initiative development and coordination efforts. Ward also will serve as the Bloch School Director of Global Management Education Initiatives.

The landscape of the family farm takes center stage in “The Land,” the fourth movie by Stephen Pruitt, economics and finance professor. The movie is available to stream on Amazon. Photo provided by Stephen Pruitt.

BLOCH PROFESSOR SCREENS LATEST MOVIE

The landscape of the family farm takes center stage in “The Land,” the fourth movie by Stephen Pruitt, economics and finance professor. The movie is available to stream on Amazon. Photo provided by Stephen Pruitt.

The Land, the latest independent feature film directed by Stephen Pruitt, the Arvin Gottlieb/Missouri Endowed Chair of Business Economics and Finance, had its world premiere at the iconic TLC Chinese Theater in Hollywood in June 2019 and subsequently claimed top prizes at film festivals throughout the Midwest.

The movie, co-written and co-produced by Pruitt and his wife, Mary Settle Pruitt, was shot in the greater Kansas City area and deals with timely issues involving rural depression and suicide as a result of the current agricultural crisis. It addresses the question facing many individuals approaching the end of their working careers: “Are we more than what we do?”

“It has been a wonderful privilege to see Mary’s and my films have such an extraordinary impact on people’s lives. ‘The Tree’ (released in 2017) is now being shown in nursing homes and public libraries by senior organizations such as AARP, the Bernard Osher Foundation, and Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC) all over the area and beyond,” Pruitt said.

“The Land” will be released on Amazon this spring.

RENZ HONORED FOR SERVICE

David Renz, professor emeritus and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, was honored in 2019 by the city of Kansas City, Missouri for his decades of service in working with the nonprofit sector.

Former Mayor Sly James and the city council, led by former Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner, approved a resolution recognizing Renz, “whose leadership and governance expertise has impacted the nonprofit sector in Kansas City and organizations around the world.”

SAYING GOODBYE

We said farewell and good luck to these wonderful professors. Combined, they provided more than 200 years of academic excellence and care for our students and school.

Lee G. Bolman, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management

David W. Cornell, Ph.D., associate professor emeritus, Accountancy

Nancy E. Day, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management

Steve Mitchell , instructor, Marketing and Supply Chain Management

David O. Renz, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Public Affairs, and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership

Georgia Smedley, Ph.D., associate professor, Accountancy

Marilyn L. Taylor, Ph.D., professor emeritus, Management

Nancy D. Weatherholt, Ph.D., associate professor, Accountancy

FACULTY AND STAFF UPDATES

AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS Nathan Mauck, Ph.D., associate professor of Finance, and David Lloyd, assistant teaching professor, were selected as the 2019 Graduate and Undergraduate Faculty Impact Award winners. Students vote on the faculty who have the most positive impact on them throughout their careers at the Bloch School. Mauck and Lloyd are inspirational role models for our students and very deserving of this honor.

Roozmehr Safi, Ph.D., assistant professor of Management Information Systems, was named the 2019 recipient of the Elmer F. Pierson Good Teaching Award.

Jeff Hornsby, Ph.D., chair of the Management Department and director of the Regnier Institute, was named a University of Missouri Curators’ Distinguished Professor. This is the highest and most prestigious academic rank awarded by the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri.

David O. Renz, Ph.D., professor emeritus of Nonprofit Leadership and director of the Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, was honored with the “Special Lifetime Achievement Award” by Nonprofit Connect. Renz is only the second honoree of the award in the 35-year history of Kansas City-based membership organization.

Brandon Martin, Ed.D., UMKC athletics director, serves as an executive in residence for leadership programming for sports professionals.

PROMOTIONS

Jeff Johnson, Ph.D., marketing, promoted to Associate Professor, granted tenure

Tammie Schaefer, Ph.D., accounting, promoted to Associate Professor, granted tenure

NEW FACULY HIRES

The Bloch School hired the following full-time instructors:

David Jarrett, visiting assistant professor, Management ƒ David Kenner, instructor, Management

Alex Krause Matlack, instructor, Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation ƒ Tony Vatterott, visiting assistant professor, Marketing and Supply Chain Management

Niki Waldron, instructor, Accountancy ƒ Gary O’Bannon, instructor, Management

We welcomed these new staffers during the academic year:

Kristina Shultz, senior office support assistant ƒ Cindy Thompson, senior academic advisor

Alexandra Schumacher, associate director of Graduate Programs ƒ Frank Garcia-Ornelas, senior student recruitment specialist